Lydia Ko putts on the sixth green during the first round of the LPGA Tournament of Champions 2025 at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida. 31 Jan, 2025. Photo: AFP
New Zealand golfer Dame Lydia Ko has finished her the opening round of the LPGA Tournament of Champions eight shots off the lead in Orlando, Florida.
Ko shot a one-over-par 73, ending with an unfortunate bogey to drop her down the leaderboard to 28th equal.
The New Zealander, in her first start for the year, parred the first six holes, before birdying the seventh. It was tougher on the last nine, with three bogeys to go with one birdie.
South Korean A Lim Kim nailed seven birdies in her 7-under par round of 65 to lead by four strokes after the first round.
Patty Tavatanakit from Thailand, Jin Young Ko from South Korea, and Leona Maguire from Ireland, were in joint second place.
Ko, who was made a Dame Companion in the New Year Honours, has high aspirations for 2025 after a fairy tale 2024, which included a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, earning her a place in golf's Hall of Fame and the British Open title.
"I would love to do the career Grand Slam," she told a pre-tournament press conference in Orlando.
"It's hard winning one major championship. To win five, and they all be different ones, it's a very small group of players who have done it. If I could be alongside that small group, it would be amazing."
To get the career Grand Slam she needs to win the US Women's Open in Wisconsin in early June, followed by the Women's PGA Championship in Texas three weeks later.
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